9903.01.20 - Except for products described in headings 9903.01.21, 9903.01.22, or 9903.01.23 articles the product of China and Hong Kong, as provided for in U.S. note 2(s) to this subchapter

This HTS category, 9903.01.20, designates specific articles originating from China and Hong Kong that are subject to special tariff treatment. It functions as an exclusionary note, meaning it applies to goods unless they fall under the specifically enumerated exceptions of headings 9903.01.21, 9903.01.22, or 9903.01.23. This provision is part of Section XXII, Temporary Legislation and Modifications, indicating that these classifications are not permanent and can be altered based on trade policy adjustments.

Unlike the substantive HTS headings that classify goods based on their inherent characteristics such as material, function, or type (e.g., live animals in Chapter 1), this category operates within a framework of temporary trade restrictions. It does not define products by their physical attributes but rather by their country of origin and their inclusion within a specified list of goods subject to these temporary measures, as further detailed by U.S. Note 2(s) to this subchapter.

As a leaf node, HTS 9903.01.20 has no further subcategories. Its classification is definitive for any article meeting the origin criteria and not otherwise exempted by the adjacent 9903.01.xx codes. For practical classification, importers must first identify the base HTS classification of their product and then determine if it is originating from China or Hong Kong and if it falls within the scope of this specific temporary provision or one of its stated exceptions.